Part One: Trust No One
by OswinGaradex
Summary: "If you are ever to encounter them, run Yang Xiao Long. Run far and wide and get your team away because they are the most dangerous people in all of Remnant." I do not own RWBY or any of the characters. (Except any OCs)
1. Midnight Masquerade

Chapter One: Midnight Masquerade Yang was walking through the courtyard of Beacon. It was strange because she had no idea how she ended up there, but here she was dressed for combat and her feet hitting the cobbeled stone with barley a sound. She stopped in front of the statue of a huntsman and huntress standing triumphantly and ready for battle on a cliff just above an Ursa.

Slower than usual she became aware of a woman standing in front of the statue. She felt a tug of recognition, but she couldn't place where or how they may have met. The woman had on a black dress with elbow length red sleves and a thick red sash tied around her waist. Red beads hung on several necklaces on her neck and black boots that reached to her mid thigh. Hanging from a thin silver belt was two plates of red armor reaching slightly below her skirt and a thick rectangular chamber with the hilt of a sword reaching out of it. There were three color lights near the top and it was nearly three feet long. That weapon would've been the most eye catching part of the ensemble if it were not for the ancient nevermore mask that was fitted to her face, the two of the four slits shining as red eyes glowed underneath. Yang squinted at her trying to focus. Everything seemed so hazy as if everything had a soft glow emiting from it. She felt her memory straining to remember who this woman was. "

"Who...Who are you!" She softly exclaimed to the woman, but no sooner had she asked the answer came to her. She was the woman who saved her on the train! She'd stopped the preppy victorian girl from killing her!

The woman reached up and pulled the Nevermore mask from her face, revealing features Yang saw, with a shock, that looked quite like hers. She stared in awe at the wamans slightly hazy features. "We have alot to talk about." She said simply and deep red eyes of an expressionless face met lavender.

Lavender blinked and went red. "Why?" She asked blinking again, crimson turning back to light purple. She hadn't seen the womans face on the train, but it made something inside her flare into existance. She had seen this woman before, without her mask.

"You don't know me, yet you saved me on the train. Why?" The woman looked at her and something flashed across her face. Yang barley glimpsed it but it looked like raw pain. It was gone in an instant.

"You...you don't recognize me?" She asked in a small voice. "

"I...I do..." Yang said further squinting at her as though looking at her through narrow slit may help. "I just don't know where from." The woman looked at her, red eyes going soft then turning back hard and expressionless.

"I see. We must talk Yang Xaio Long."

"What? How do you know my name!" Yang exclaimed and looked away from her.

"That is of no importance. Now come with me." She said in a voice as hard and blank as stone. She turned and began to walk around the back of the statue. Yang stayed where she was for a second, then the woman stopped and looked at her. Red eyes bore into purple.

"Well, are you coming?" "Where are we going?" Yang responded evenly trying to ignore the gnawing feeling of dread in her stomach. For once Yang felt wary. True, she may throw herself at danger every day, but something about this familier enigma of a woman told her if she followed she would be in more danger than ever before.

The woman smiled tightly at her, and raised her Nevermore mask to her face. "Yang Xaio Long, we are simply following the music. don't you hear it?" Yang cocked her head. Yes, she could hear music! A soft slow waltz, sort of the thing Weiss or Blake would listen to. Slowly she took a step toward the Woman. The another, and another until she had fallen behind the Masked Woman. The sounds of violins and cellos was drawn out to her as the waltx took on a erie quality.

Suddenly as Yang looked around, she became very aware, very quickly that they were no longer in the courtyard of Beacon Academy. "Where are we!" Yang asked, but the woman was silent. Her left eye twitched with frustration at the fact she had only gotten no answers sience this woman had met her, and Yang was getting very pissed off. "Where are we!" She asked louder this time and purple became red.

The woman just stopped and Yang heard an annoyed sigh. "I thought, for someone as preceptive as yourself could have figured it out by now." The woman spoke tightly beneath her mask. The red eyes of the Nevermore mask looked toward Yang who started back without answering. "We are in the dreamworld. My associate has helped me get here, so I could show you something."

Yang gaped at her. "Why should I believe that?" She challenged.

"Because there is no other explanation. Think about it. Do you remember how you got here? How about to the courtyard? How are you dressed for combat when you last remembered going to bed in your pajamas? Yang Xaio Long, if you do not believe me then you are a fool." Yang stopped and thought for a moment. "So none of this is real?" "This is happening in our minds, but that does not mean it is not real. Yang how did you feel after your fight? It was only several hours ago, I should wonder how your muscles are holding up." The woman said. No sooner had she said it, Yangs back began to ache and her shouldiers felt tense.

"How...what did you do!" She exclaimed, the aftermath of her fight with the preppy victorian girl suddenly catching up to her. She felt sore all over.

"We are in the dream world. As soon as a thought comes into your head it is best to guard it and make sure it does not escape your thoughts unless it is what you want. In the dreamworld you can have whatever you wish or you could put yourself in great pain or danger. Im sorry you did not figure this out on your own, but my time here is limited. Im nearing the end of my sleep cycle, and I see you are too. Now I am about to show you a memory of mine that is of the upmost importance. I need you to keep still and quiet and only concentrate on what I am showing you. Nothing else. Do you understand?"

Yang shuffeled uncomfortably on her feet, her boots scraping what was now polished wood floor. "I understand." She mumbeled and looked up as the music suddenly changed to a slightly more upbeat tempo.

Yang gasped and her eyes faded back to their usual heliotrope purple as she took in the scene before her. All around her were people dress in suits, expensive robes and long flowing dresses. The room was large with dark almond colored wood flooring and red walls. Along these walls and hanging from the ceiling were hundreds of paper lanterns strung up giving the room a soft glow. Along the wall to her left were several tall arched windows that seemed to stretch from floor to ceiling, leaving only samll columns of wall in between huge spances of a dark star filled sky. The sigh was breathtaking, but Yang felt a growing unease as she looked at the people around the room closer. Every person in the room had a weapon and every person in this room had on a mask. Some were just simple white misshapen ovals fitting whoevers face who wore it. Others could tell were tha start of a face of a Grimm, and yet others were filled with so much detail that if having met them in a dark alley at nigh or in the Forever Fall Forest, Yang would have drawn Ember Cecilica on them and have had rammed them through before realizing they were people. They looked detailed enough to be high members of the White Fang, but Yang hadn't ever seen them withs masks this intricate. Yang forgot the woman had told her not to talk. "Is this the White Fang?" She blurted. The woman stared straight ahead.

"No." She answered cooly. "The white fang may have Grimm masks, but compared to us they are no more than cheap meaningless party favors. This is a group much more dangerous. Take this scene in Yang. One day it may be the only thing to save you and your team."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Yang Xaio Long, this is the most dangerous memory I have. I am showing you the most dangerous group of people in the whole of Remnant. Remember the masks, because behind each one lies a killer. Remember how they all look, and if you ever meet one of them, run away because it is a fight you cannot win." Suddenly the room and the woman began to fade from view. "I must go now. My sleep cycle has ended, and so has yours."

"B-But...who are they? Who are you!" Yang shouted as her surrounding began to go quiet and fade into a bright noisless white. The last thing Yang heard was a voice. "They are the worst kind of people. The people who really control this world. You will meet one soon, my associates have confirmed it, and when you do Yang Xaio Long you must run. Take your team and run. Run far and wide, and then after you see what has become of the world you will understand, and then when you are finally safe I can forgive myself." Yang heard the last part as barley a whisper, then the emptyness swallowed her up.


	2. Morning Glory

Chapter Two: Morning Glory

"Yaaaaaang!" A shrill voice called into Yangs ear, and suddenly as her eyes jerked open, the emptiness was replaced with the smiling face of Ruby Rose. "Wake up!" The younger girl trilled and suddenly there was a shrill screech as Ruby blew into her cheap plastic whistle.

"What on earth you dolt!" A voice said from a few feet away, and Yangf looked down to see a very angry Weiss in a blue nightdress staring at Ruby with a look that could kill. "Has it occured to you that some of us may want to continue sleeping!"

"At least you don't have heightened hearing." A calm voice said, and Yang could picture the dark haired Blake on the bed undernath hers rubbing her ears and pushing away the book she had most likley fallen asleep reading.

"Wake up and arise team RWBY!" Ruby said, and energetically began running around the room, opening the curtains and just generally bouncing from place to place with the aid of her speed sembelance.

Yang lowered herself to the floor with a grunt. All her muscles throbbed and her back ached, the same way it had in her dream not even five minutes ago. Weiss and Blake were doing the same. The only one who didn't seem to be having a problem was Ruby, who with her speed sembelance and seemingly neverending ball of energy seemed to be able to heal a little faster than everyone else. Yang waited until her half sister ran by her and grabbed the hood of her scarlet cape. Ruby suddenly came to a screeching halt and was practically panting with excitement.

"I assume you must have a good reason for waking us up this early in the day." Weiss said to the younger girl, icy blue eyes narrowed.

"Well yeah!" Ruby said, silver eyes full of excitement. "Ospin canceled all the classes for today because of the repairs needed to happen around the city due to the breach!" Happy silver eyes met Icy blue one that went from angry to appalled.

"No classes?" The heiress questioned.

"Nope!" Ruby answered cheerfully. "We get a free day!" The younger girl looked at the heiress downcast expression. Yang looked at Blake and the two of them had to stifle a laugh. Of course Weiss would be devastated at the fact they were goingto miss long tedious lectures about history and tests!

"But we were going to have a test today!" Weiss sat down on her bed and crossed her arms. "I intended to ace it! Well no matter. On the bright side I can get time to study today!" She said thoughtfully pulling her hair back into her signature off the center ponytail. "I suggest we all take shifts between studying and training. Blake and I can study first, creating an outline for you and Ruby to go over-"

"Jeeze Weiss, live a little!" Yang interrupted, and began to walk toward the closet. She flung open the doors and pulled out a fresh tank top and shorts.

"Well then." She said, ice blue eyes boring into the back of Yangs head. "What may I ask, are you going to be doing today?"

Yang tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. "Just you know, training...for the tournament. I mean after all the Vytal festival is only a week away!" She said lightly hoping no one would see this as suspicious. Please, please, please just let them let me go to the gym. As much as Yang loved Ruby and her team, today she needed to be alone, and mindlessly hitting a punching bag or swimming laps or even weaponless sparring was just the thing she needed. She wanted time to think about what she had seen last night, and she wanted to know how she had lost so easily to that lopsided smiling, umbrella carrying chick. Its not that she didn't mind almost dying, heck she did that every time they fought a Grimm, Yang didn't like the feeling of helplessness that she'd been given as the girl had raised her sword above her heart and almost finished her off.

"Training?" Weiss Schnee said to her quizingly. "You tell me to live a little, but your going and training? Isn't that a bit hypocrytic?" Her tone was teasing, but Yang couldn't help but feel so so irritated in that moment.

Yang didn't know why at that moment she got so angry. she could never remember, but she slowly stiffened up and her eyes went from lavender to crimson. She just felt so angry for noting at all, it all unknowest to her having built over the day and night, and suddenly Yang just wanted to explode.

"

"Yang?" Ruby's voice asked her sounding small. She had seen her older sister tense up, and knew something bad was about to come. Yang knew she should have walked away. let herself calm down, but suddenly she spun on her heel and snapped at the heiress, red eyes blazing.

"You didn't just lose a fight against someone a whole head and a half shorter than you, in fact you don't have to worry, little miss perfect! Miss perfect grades, perfect form, perfect skill! Yes I'm telling you to live a little because once in awhile you need to stop being so perfect and have some fun because you don't need help! Others of us don't have perfect skill and just get on by luck and are aren't saved by skill, but by some mysterous figure who comes back later and fucks with our brains, and YES I am a complete and total hypocrate for it! SUE ME, I DON'T CARE TODAY I JUST NEED TO BE LEFT ALONE!" Yang yelled, and turning around grabbed her boots and stomped into the bathroom.

Weiss just stood there looking stunned. Ruby ran and knocked on the bathroom door. "Yang!" She said in her high pitched voice. "Yaaang, she was just kidding!" There was no answer. Ruby sighed and walked over to Weiss. "Sorry, she gets a little tempermental after losing a fight like that. I'm sure she'll train her but off, and by the time we get to the Vytal Festival Tournament she'll be back to normal and in tip top shape!" Ruby nodded confidently.

"One can only hope." Weiss said, but still looked hurt and unconvinced. "I do expect an apology very soon."

"Weiss, I'm not saying what she did was right, but imagine yourself in her shoes. She almost died and had to be saved by someone else who she doesn't even know. Let her train and think about her actions today, and then apologize when she is ready." Blake said, from the windowsill, without looking up from her book. "Like Ruby said, I'm sure she will be just fine." But the dark haired Faunus didn't sound very convinced.


	3. Submerge a Schnee

Chapter Three: Submerge a Schnee  
"C'mon Ren! You like trees! Get up here lazy butt!" Nora Valkyrie said hanging upside-down from a low hanging branch of the willow tree, next to the lake on Beacons vast yard. Her pink finger-less gloved hand reached down and booped Ren on the nose.

"No Nora." Ren said, continuing to eat his sandwich. Under the tree, enjoying its cool shade lounged teams JNPR and RWB of team RWBY.

"Fiiiiiiine!" Nora drawled dramatically, swiped a grape up from his plate and popped it in her mouth. Out of the seven of them, she was the only one who wasn't sore and tired after yesterdays fight, but then again Nora never seemed to run out of energy. Blake was stretched out on a branch overhanging the clear blue water, reading one of her ever present books. Even Ruby was laying down on her back, her red cape stretched out beneath her, a bowl of salad, two bowls of chips and a plate of cookies on top beside her so the ants wouldn't get to them. Weiss was sitting with perfect posture against the tree trunk a textbook open in her lap, having compromised on having fun and studying, Ren was sitting about a foot away eating his slowly disappearing lunch, courtesy of Nora. A pile of fluffy towels sat between him and Weiss, and everyone was dressed to swim, but very few of them felt the urge to test the waters so soon after eating.

The only two who seemed to have energy even after yesterdays fight was Jaun and Pyrrah who were both sitting in the shallow water that was still under the giant trees shade, on top of their shields, both trying to keep themselves afloat and capsize the other. Their light laughter drifted over them, mixing with the rest of Beacon who was lazing around outside or splashing in the other side of the lake. The tree was all the way around the other side of the lake, but on days like this when teams RWBY and JNPR (and on occasion team CFVY and SSSN but both had second year tryouts for the Vytal Festival Tournament) didn't want to be bothered, it was worth it, and today quiet was just what the metaphorical doctor ordered.

Ruby groaned and turned onto her side trying not to disturb her red hood. Reaching up she grabbed a cookie and looked around, her eyes falling on Weiss. The pale Heiress's eyes were flicking back and forth across the page of her textbook. "Weiss!" Ruby groaned at her. The other girl did not look up. "Weiss!"Ruby said louder. Wiess held up her pointer finger and finished reading her chapter. A minute later she looked up.

"What is it Ruby?"

"Weiss, you must have read that stupid textbook a hundred times! Why don't you do something fun?" Ruby wined at her.

Weiss sighed impatiently. "As much as I would like to Ruby, I need to finish my studying."

But Ruby would not have it. It was a nice day, and she was determined to make Weiss have some fun. "How about we go for a swim?" She suggested excitedly. "I'm sure Jaun and Pyrrah wouldn't mind if we joined them!"

"Ruby I don't-" But the younger girl had already jumped up and was running toward the water.

"First one to submerge Weiss will get a triple batch of my double chocolate chip cookies!" Ruby yelled and suddenly Weiss was being stared down by six pairs of eyes. She looked up and Blake was slowly closing her book, amber eyes staring down at her. To her left clear blue and fushia were boring into her head and from the water cerulean and emerald traced her calculatingly. Near the edge of the water silver looked laughingly at her.

Slowly Weiss closed her textbook and stood up. Brushing off her light jean shorts she had on over white swimsuit she nodded and looked around at team JNPR and RB who were slowly closing in on her. "Well this has been fun but I really should be going... " She trailed off as Nora suddenly seemed to appear in front of her.

"Where you going Weiss?" She asked her eyes wild with the thought of a triple batch of cookies. Weiss turned around to see Blake behind her, having crept there silently. She knew she was in trouble now.

"Ruby Rose you will pay for this." She muttered, and concentrating a pale blue glyph appeared beneath each of her friends around her. Giving the a winning smile that had gotten her a variety of favors and gifts from her father, she spun gracefully on the spot and thrust her arms out to the side as though she was pushing them all away from her.

Team JNPR and the other two members (not including Yang) of team RWBY tumbled away from her and landed in a circular radius away from her in surprise. Weiss flicked her right hand and a series of cyan glyphs spiraled up to a tall branch of the willow tree much like a crystalline spiral staircase. All the others were already getting up, and Pyrrah having been the only one able to catch and right herself was already running towards her. Weiss quickly began to run up her set of glyphs. They disappeared behind her when one of her feet touched them. In less then three seconds she was standing neatly on the highest branch of the tree, a light breeze blowing back her off center ponytail and the sun warmed her fair skin.

She breathed in enjoying the moment, when suddenly there was a loud battle cry from behind her, and Nora with a fallen tree branch raised over her head, appeared behind her (courtesy of Pyrrah launching her into the air with her shield). She slammed the branch down at Weiss, who caught it with a black glyph. The branch iced over connecting it to the tree with a think line of ice.

Nora, unprepared for this flew forward with the momentum of her leap and landed two trees over with a loud sound of cracking wood. Quickly, before someone else could attack Weiss created a series of black glyphs that sloped down from the tree and across the lakes surface. She ran down them making them disappear as she went. She paused one pulsing underneath her when suddenly the wind blew, and a single rose petal blew forward.

She whirled around in time to be caught off guard and tackled by a bright red blur. Loosing her footing, her concentration snapped and her glyph winked out of existence and she broke the waters surface with a loud splash. Her and Ruby broke apart and surfaced the water, Ruby with a big smile on her face and Weiss with a plan for revenge.

"Looks like I won't have to share my cookies after all!" Ruby cheered.

"Ruby Rose you are going to pay!" Weiss said laughing and before the younger girl had any time to prepare she jumped and pushed down on her wet head, the younger girl dipping under the water. Revenge had been paid, and it tasted sweeter than Ruby Rose's triple chocolate chip cookies.


	4. Sparring Burn Out

Chapter Four: Sparring Burn Out  
The roar of a certain black and yellow motorcycle drowned out the busy sounds of the city from reaching Yang's ears. She bit her lip as she ran through yet another red light. Oopsies! Turning a sharp right she raced down a thin back alley sidewalk at barley less than a hundred. The alley was so narrow she could've stuck out an arm and brushed the crumbling brick with her fingertips.

So yes, Yang had decided to take a small detour from the gym. She had been getting bored...sort of...

*FLASHBACK*

Yang stared eyes narrow red slits, at her opponent across the sparring pit. The sloped concrete floor felt cool under her bare feet, and the sloped walls had faint scorch marks from where her semblance activated near them. The pit was one of the larger ones, sunken into the floor at ten feet, and had a ten foot radius from the center. The walls sloped inwards, meeting the floor at a gentle curve. Around the top was three sections of railing at spaced intervals where people stood swapping bets and cheering. At a quick glance Yang saw mostly unfamiliar faces except for a frowning Coco who was peering at them over the top of her sunglasses, and Velvet who held a similar look, her rabbit ears twitching as Coco whispered something to her. Yang tore her eyes away from the scene and back to her opponent.

Yang raised her fists, and bounced lightly on the balls of her feet in a fighting stance. Her muscles were starting to shake with the extra strain, but she didn't care. This was her fifth opponent and she wasn't about to quit yet. Not until she couldn't take it anymore. Her opponent was a large brawny guy with bulging muscles and at least a head above her. His stance was not unlike hers, but he was leaning back to far she noted. She would easily be able to knock him off his feet. At least she should have been.

For almost a minute they starred each other down, turquoise eyes meeting ones the color of rubies. Then, the guy dropped his fists and spread his arms and with both hands beckoned Yang forward as if to say, come get me. Yang obliged.

With a yell the brawler ran forward, and threw her fist into the guys stomach as he stood there. He merely smiled and winked as he fist connected...with what felt like a brick wall. Yang winced as she drew her hand back and somersaulted backwards. It felt like she had broken three of her fingers. The aura she had left seemed to concentrate around her fingers and she felt the pain begin to ease as she held up her arms in defense as he this time in turn causally walked towards her.

He neared her just after her fingers finished healing, and she blocked punches and chops that felt like they were being thrown with an iron fist. She was able to block him off with her forearms and a series of handsprings, but her aura was low. She didn't need to check her scroll to know that unless she was able to breach his ironclad defense, she wasn't going to make it out of this fight unscathed.

Yang drew in a deep breath, her muscles screaming in pain, she threw several punches at him and went on the offense. The guy's semblance make him like a solid block of concrete, but the more he was concentrating on his offense or defense, the more his concentration on keeping himself rock solid was beginning to falter.

So Yang let him get a swipe at her. She ducked as her swung an uppercut at her head, letting him thing she was going to be driven on the defense, but as she ducked she felt a slight breeze pass her head and suddenly a small tug. Suddenly time seemed to slow down as she saw his fist spring back to guarding his face and the small cowlick of blonde hair fall to the ground. The blonde dragoness roared and Yang felt the familiar flames of her semblance being fully activated. Her eyes narrowed once again and she felt as though her aura was back to one hundred percent.

The next punch he threw at her, Yang caught his fist. Aqua eyes widened as Yang slammed a fist into his gut. He was caught off guard and Yang heard an omph and a thunk as she caught him just before his semblance was able to kick in. His aura seemed to deplete almost instantly. Yang still held his fist in an iron grip which she pulled back and with a all the force she could slammed him forward into the wall.

There were cheers and screams of delight coming from her supporters and boos coming from the Guys classmates as some of his friends came and hauled him out of the pit.

Yang celebrated with them and raised her fists above her head. Her muscles were screaming and her aura was close to gone but she didn't care. She was still standing and that's what mattered. She would take on another opponent until she fell down.  
The dragoness roared. She would continue until she could no longer function. Anything to distract her from her scattered thoughts.

*FLASHBACK OVER*

Yang had actually collapsed after that, her aura having reached dangerously low levels. She didn't remember when she had exactly but suddenly she saw a pair of bright red eyes, then found herself on the smooth concrete floor, a pattern of scorch marks around her.

What had she meant 'forgive herself'?

She had stood up, limbs aching and pushed through the sea of people offering her assistance.

Who were they?

She had pushed through the room. None of them could help her.

What were their masks?

She couldn't ignore this anymore. She needed answers.

If they were the most dangerous criminals in all of Remnant, why was the woman wearing their mask?

She pushed through the crowd, never feeling more alone than now. She needed help, and there was only one person who she knew to go to.


	5. Torch Bearer

Chapter Five: Torch Bearer

A light drizzle made the aluminum roof of the dusty warehouse plink and plunk as though it was being hit with tiny stones. All around were boxes and pieces of furniture draped in white sheets ready to be shipped out. Wind and rain blew in through an open window as freshly disturbed dust floated in the air around a small figure silhouetted in the faded light.

Neapolitan rested her head on the low table, her arms crossed under her chin. The black bowler of Roman Torchwick sat in front of her on the low table. Smalls beads of water slowly worked their way down the hats gentle slope and pooled on the table.

Even on the low chair she was sitting on, the petite girl could barley reach the floor. The black toes of her white stiletto boot just brushed it.

Brushing a damp lock of pink hair away from her face, and tossing the brown half over her shoulder, the girls normally mismatched pink and brown eyes shone a vanilla cream color just after she blinked and stared at the small black cap.

The fingers of her left hand idly twitched and played with the shiny ribbon encircling the band. The soft black velvet was smooth and cool to the touch, a sign of besides being wet, not having been worn in a long time.

Sighing and picking up her head Neo looked around then pulled the small locket she normally kept hidden in the front of her dark brown and black pinstriped shirt that was just long enough to tuck the front and back grey jeans. Her matching jacket with the pale pink underside was hanging on the back of her chair along with her deadly pink umbrella. The sheets from the chair and table lay discarded and wet. After all she had needed a way to dry her self off.

Pale slender fingers curled around the white gold amulet a midst several necklaces and strawberry colored nails pinched into the crevice popping the small locket open. Inside was a single picture.

Glassy olive green eyes rimmed with a heavy coat of black eyeliner stared out at her. The small girl traced her hands over a cocky smirk as a hand that drew itself back through thick auburn hair. It was a rare sight to see both Romans eyes, and an even rarer site to see it in a picture. He had this thing about pictures. She remembered back when he had gotten his mugshot. He

Sighing again the petite girl closed the locket with a slender hand, and hung it back beneath her shirt where it rested comfortably above her heart. Her eyes traveled the dim room she was in until she found herself looking back at the hat.

The well kept bowler gave her an ache in her heart and a pang in her soul. Reaching out two pale hands she picked it up tenderly by the brim and slowly placed it on her head.

'I'll keep it safe for you.' She thought to herself and reached back for her jacket.

"Well now. Someone's taken on a new look." A detached voice said and a small flame appeared in the dim light followed by the silhouette of a woman who seemed to be holding it. She walked slowly towards her. Catlike. A small tinkle like muted glass bells sounded with every other step.

Neo quickly grabbed her umbrella and somersaulted backwards over her chair as the woman advanced closer, flaming orange eyes boring into a once again mismatched pair of pink and brown ones.

As the woman came into the dim light, she saw two golden orange eyes consumed by a flame bursting forth from them like a slow burning candle form each socket. She had on a dark red off the shoulder, long sleeve dress which had elegant flame colored spiraling runes crossing down the sleeves and the the shoulder line of the fabric. The skirt held a long seventy five degree angle and came up to a slit on her thigh that had a crisscross of leather chord exposing pale cream colored flesh. Above the slit was a small feather ornament. Both of the woman's slender hands cupped a flame in each one, letting it out she must've had a fire semblance. Glass heels, a leather choker, dangling glass earrings and a small glass anklet were what was letting out the bell like sound as she lazily stopped across from Neapolitan at the table.

"Now now. No need to be afraid!" She said with all the tenderness of a care giving mother, but had all the venom of a snake waiting to strike. Neo simply responded by pressing a button on her dainty umbrella. A silvery thin sharp blade slid out of the head of her umbrella.

The corners of the woman's mouth twitched upwards into almost what could be considered a smile. It held too much Malice and pent up grief to be considered a true smile. It scared the hell out of the shorter girl. "Ah such a feisty one. I see why Roman likes you."

Hearing his name Neo almost dropped her umbrella in shock. This woman was talking about Roman like he was a college. A spark of surprise flashed across her face for a mere second before she was able to regain her composure. She hoped the woman hadn't seen it, but by the second twitch in the corners of her mouth, Neo had just lost the game of wills.

"You want him back don't you?" Flaming eyes burned into once again vanilla colored ones.

Neo simply stared back. The slowly she nodded once.

"Well you need not to worry. My associates and I intend to do just that. Needless to say, Roman Torchwick will not be in prison for much longer."

Neo's heart skipped a beat in her chest. Suddenly she had a chance of saving him. Word on the streets had been he was in solitary containment and was on an airship to Vaccuo to be executed. If this woman was telling the truth, this was her only chance of seeing Roman again. But what would she have to do for her?

Taking in a lungful of air, a chocolate and and strawberry crowned head tipped to the side in interest.

"I can see how much you miss him. Well if you want to get him back alive, I am going to need your particular set of...skills at my back, especially with the events about to unfold."

Vanilla eyes narrowed. The woman continued in a silky voice that of which Neo was powerless to resist. "Pledge you alliance to me and your...friend Roman will get back in one piece. Ill maybe even forgive him for his mistake if you do well."

Neo blinked rapidly. Mistake? The woman seriously terrified her so if Roman had pissed her off she seriously doubted she wanted to bat her offer away.

A previously flaming hand topped with gleaming red nails extended itself to her. Neo stared at it and after a moments hesitation she grasped it with her own childlike one.

"Good. Very good."The woman's smooth voice whispered silky as honey and finally at least the twitching corners of her lips curled into a slanted smile that almost reached the ashen hair over her left shoulder. "Welcome to the team Ms. Neo. We have a lot to do."


	6. A Cubs Club

Chapter Six: A Cubs Club  
Melanie and Milita Malachite both stood above the doorway to 'A Cubs Club' on a special balcony, scanning the crowd below them. While the two sisters looked like highly fashionable guests of the shadowy night club, to very few people's knowledge, they were actually the bouncers.

Melanie stood with both hands spread apart on the balcony railing which was in line with her feet which were separated just past shoulder width. Her whole stance radiated that of confidence and an air of high class. From the expensive white stiletto boots with the deadly heels that laced up to her thighs and her flared frosty strapless dress she looked like a sort of snow princess. Around her waste was a decorative mix of chain and bow and off center of her back was a gossamer train that bounced whenever she walked.

Milita stood beside her, arms crossed across her blood red outfit that almost matched her twin sisters white one in everything except color. Her red claws adorned her fingers, making it of a certain death for any drunk who decided to get too close. The heels of her boots were both touching as she watched the crowed along with her sister.

So far things had been going well. The club had just opened at one and they hadn't started serving drinks yet so it wasn't too much of a problem. Mainly teens skipping school and gate crashers. They had only thrown one person out for punching another guy in the face, and they had at least another two hours before anything majorly big would start to go down. Or so they thought. Obviously they ha not been anticipating an angry blonde who had just had a very very bad day. Neither Snow White or Red Rose had been expecting the door of the club to come bursting inwards and a blonde dragoness to come bursting in.

There was an earsplitting screeching noise that blared through the speakers as the bear suited Dj suddenly forgot about lifting his fingers from the turn table. The people all stopped dancing and in the flashing lights and fog all slowly turned toward an bemused looking Yang.

Red Rose and Snow White both glanced at each other and silently agreed to stay put until deadly blows were struck.

"Hello!" A sassy voice said loudly as though she had been completely expected. There was no answer. "Will I have to start practicing for the Vytal Festival tournament? I've had a very bad day and beating the crap out of your employees would just give me such a boost!" The blonde glanced around and blew a kiss at the staring crowd.

"Junior!" All eyes were on the yelling blonde as a man in his late twenties peeked out from the back room of the bar for a split second then slammed the door shut.

Leaning against the cold steel he tried not to lose his temper.

Hei Xiong, or 'Junior' to those who knew him well (and of course yang) put two fingers against his temple. His day had been going so well.

'I won't hit her with my bat. I will make it through on meeting with her alive.' He thought, repeating the mantra to himself and slowly unstuck himself from the hard steel behind his back. Slowly he opened the door and with a sarcastic smile on his face walked out into the smoky room. "Dj!" He yelled. "What do you think your doing! Give us some tunes!" He yelled at the man in the bear suit who half jumped out of their skin. With some trouble the music restarted and slowly the people tore their eyes from the blonde firecracker who had stormed in and resumed their dancing. "Girls!" Junior yelled seriously hoping his twin bombshell bouncers were close by. "Ms. Xiao Long." He said in a false cheery voice. "To what do I owe this unexpected...pleasure."

The teen smiled lightly at Junior and ignoring his obvious lack of love, suddenly grabbed him by the collar and pulled him towards the bar. "Just getting that drink you owe me!" She said cheerfully and plopped her butt down on a bar stool and pushing him away from her.

"With all due respect Ms. Long, but you came and got it last time." He said as the blonde twirled a lock of hair between her fingers. He clambered through the swinging half door to put the high counter between him and the young huntress. He watched as she swung her legs back and fourth, the toes of her chunky tan combat boots inches away from the floor. This girl may have had some serious curves but there was no mistaking her for what she was. A kid.

"...And I need information on it from you." He heard a voice say, and suddenly he became vaguely aware of her talking to him as though he hasn't said anything to him at all.

"Huh?" He said not sure what shed just said.

She sighed then giggled. "I need a drink and I need information on stuff from you Bear Cub. You've failed me so far but you know what they say. Third times the charm!" She seemed way to cheery. Usually in Juniors experience people who had on the biggest smile were the ones with the saddest eyes.

Junior sighed. Well as long as she wasn't digging too deep he would be fine. Besides he didn't have to tell her everything. "What do you want?"

The girl shrugged. "Hmmm. Something with fruit in it. And lots of sugar."

Junior was confused as to what the hell she was talking about. It took him a minute and a sigh before he grabbed a glass and a bottle of rum. "So what do you want to know?" He repeated as he poured the bitter drink into the cut crystal and added a number more of ingredients until a full blow pina colada sat in from of his customer on the counter. She seemed to be deep in thought and completely ignored the drink in front of her. "Well there's this gang...well more of a cult." She said and teaching out, slowly stirred her finger in the white foam of her drink.

"Go on." Xiong said internally rolling his eyes. Ah yes teenagers. The most descriptive beings in existence. He barley kept the sarcasm from dripping into his voice.

"Well to my knowing their really big and have like a web of followers but are super secret."

"Alright." He said curtly wondering who the hell she could be talking about. That was almost every gang in the world. "Is that all?"

She thought for another minute and brought her hand to her mouth and thoughtfully sucked the white fizz off her finger tips. "Well there's one more thing."

"Yes?"

"They all wear these super creepy Grimm masks." Yang said staring off into space.

Junior could feel his lunch coming back up.


	7. Flightless Raven

Chapter Seven: Flightless Raven

Raven Brawnynnen sat crouched on the dusty stone flooring of the cave in mountain Glenn. She looked around the small pocket of stone they had been living out of. Her two associates lay sprawled out on the floor, asleep. Red eyes peered at them through the face of an ancient Nevermore, the two sleeping form barley silhouettes in the caves darkness.

The crevice where they had set up base was barley big enough for the three of them. They had been here for months doing things that were not fit to be spoken of. It made Raven sick to think of all the places she had been in and what she had done, what she had accomplished in the past seventeen years.

Once a a respected Huntress Raven bowed her head thinking about what had happened to her. Red eyes fluttered closed. Everyday she could feel nothing but shame and regret.

Years ago she had made the wrong decision and it had been haunting her ever sience. Worry clouded her mind and despair had never been far from her thoughts for the past seventeen years. Always lingering on the edges of her thoughts. Her past was coming to haunt her again, more so than ever in the past years. She fingered the hilt of her sword, the dim light seeming darker with all her thoughts.

The students of Beacon and the citizens of Remnant were about to get slaughtered if she couldn't stop it. She knew this thanks to one of their most recent...visitors. The floor in the corner was still sticky with sickening red drops, and a blood soaked Boarbotusk mask lay in pieces, an alter to the fallen man who they'd been forced to take the life of.

Raven breathed in heavily, traces of the metallic sent of blood in the air. Their last visitor had given them all they had needed to know.

She looked at her sleeping associates and knew they must wake soon. She hated to wake the two expressionless figures, both of them still with their masks pressed to their faces, but one of them had sensed the mans sembelance and knew had had sent out a call for help. Raven bowed her head again and looked away. It were times like these she wished she was still capeable of tears. The two people before her were probably not sleeping, just laying wide awake alone with their thoughts.

She had once been like them. Sleeping in a mask may not be comfortable, but it's better to do than the alternative where you cannot stand to look yourself in the eyes.


	8. A Second Breach

Chapter Eight: A second Breach  
Heels clicked on the cold stone flooring as a certain Goodwitch ran up the marble stairs, scroll in hand. After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the wooden door to the office at the highest part of the tower. and flung open the doors without laying an ebony finger on them.

The gears that slowly rotated on the circular offices ceiling did little to match the urgency Glenda Goodwitch felt. "Ospin!" She yelled breathlessly. "Emergency! We have another breach!"

Two faces turned to look at her, a conversation having been cut off mid sentence. One kindly and care worn with mischievous brown eyes that immediately turned sour at her outburst, and one battle scarred and hard, with thick brown brows, blue eyes and a small metal plate above the right. Both men turned and stared at the blonde woman. Lime eyes met with Cirrilean. Cirrlean met with brown and shared a knowing look. They would have to continue their conversation later.

"Calm down Professor." Ospin said softly, leaning on his cane. "In a logical way, explain to me what has happened." With his soft features and brown eye Ospin was the definition of calm and collected with his deep brown eyes that peered over his round specticals which never quite seemed to be fully present, grey-green clothing and the silver cane he held. If you had never met him in person, you would not think he would be one of the most powerful hunters in whole of Remnant.

On the other hand, General Ironwood held himself rigid and radiated power. From his hard cut, scarred features to his white, Atlas uniform he looked like every bit of the general he was. Both men held themselves, portraying a calm demienor.

Wordlessly Glenda pulled out her scroll and opened it to full view. There was a picture open of the far wall. A large section of the wall had seemed to have exploded inwards and there was several Beowolves around the scene. Glenda double tapped and the picture zoomed in on the most disturbing part. The Atlas soldiers who had been guarding the wall lay in pieces, their white machinery having been seemingly slashed apart with a very sharp weapon. Grimm didn't have the skill to slice someone apart that cleanly. "We have a breach!" She exclaimed. "And by the looks of it, it was planned."

"There must be more, considering you ran all the way up the stairs when there is a perfectly good elevator." Ospin exclaimed thoughtfully.

Glenda chest rose and fell, only finally catching her breath. "This." She said and swiped sideways on her scroll to another picture. In thick red painted letter were the words, 'Your move' Painted darkly on the wall next to the breach. "It's not so much the breach itself that's a problem. Luckily there was someone on head to deal with it."

"Who?" asked General Ironwood looking worried.

"That's another problem." The good witch said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "We don't know who it was. No one was able to get an accurate description of them. Those who were near the site of the breach said all they saw was a hooded figure."

"Anyone glimpse their weapon?" The general asked. In the life of a warrior where your weapon meant your life, it was a bit personal. People carried weapons. Weapons identified the people.

"That's just the thing. No one saw a weapon. They just saw the figure run in front of a Beowolf that was on the verge of attacking a young girl and suddenly it just stopped."

"It just stopped..." Ospin said thoughtfully, a far away look in his eyes.

"Yes. According to many civilians reports the figure seemed to stare at the approaching Grimm and suddenly it and the pack turned and slunk back where they had came from. That seems a bit strange, does it not? Perhaps we need to postpone the Tournament Ospin. This has been two breaches two many. The safety of the people is much more important then a festival, no matter how cultured it may be of course...Ospin..." The headmaster heard his name being called by Glyenda's harsh musical voice, but he wasn't paying attention. He had seen almost exactly what she had just describe before, a long, long time ago.

*FLASHBACK*

Ospin spun around and hit the Beowolf in the chest with his cane. There was a small delay, and suddenly the Grimm fell to the ground and immediately began to flake apart. Black specks floated on the breeze as he turned to the next one, his cane spinning like a blur. The larger pack leader swung a giant paw at him and he caught it with a hexagon of green light. The blow glanced off the semblance powered shield, and threw the Beowolf off balance. Inhaling deeply, in the spur of the moment he spun around with his cane, a trail of green hexagons in its wake.

So far so good. He felt his knee groan and pop. Not now! He continued the turn, the Striking beowolf moving in slow motion. He struggled to hold his knee in line with his quickly dwindling Aura. The trade-off to having one of the most powerful semblances know was it used up Aura like there was no tomorrow.

His knee trembled. Not now!

The move was almost complete. Once he finished, he would be able to prove to the world his injury wasn't so bad after all! They would have to put him back in the field and not some boring old teaching job. It may have been a prestigious academy but it wasn't what he wanted to do. 'Call me selfish, but I have no desire to teach countless hoards of children how to slay monsters.'

His leg buckled in pain, his Aura beginning to fail. Not now, not now, not now!

It was too late. He tried to force his cane down to steady himself before time slowed, but he wasn't quick enough. The striking Beowolf batted the cane far from his hand. He watched the thin stick of metal as it sailed across the forest and he crashed forward to the ground, catching himself just in time to see the oversize Beowolf Roar and its huge claws swipe at him.

Ozpin projected a green shield of light around himself to protect from the oncoming blow, but it was no use. It fizzled apart. He felt the draining sensation as his Aura reached the critical level. He was out. One of the top hunters in the world, and the only thing needed to kill him was a trick knee and a mediocre pack of Beowolves. He shouldn't have done this before he'd healed more. Maybe he should've listened to his superiors when they had told him he wasn't invinciable.

He watched as the paw struck down at him and he closed his eyes, his leg locked in place. 'Well at least I don't have to teach anymore.' He thought to himself and chuckled dryly. 'So much for my epiphany. After all who would listen to the thoughts of a dying man.' There was a snarl, and suddenly the sound of heavy footsteps away from him made him open one eye.

He looked up to see the Beowolf walking away. 'Well thats that then-' He thought. Wait...Grim don't just walk away. Suddenly the evening sun was blocked from his vision as a silhouetted figure reached out a hand to him. "I would ask if you need a hand sir, but it looks like you need a leg instead." A high voice said, then laughed at her own joke.

Ozpin grasped her hand, and with her pulling and him trying not to fall down, they pulled him back on his feet. "Thank you." He said.

"Don't worry about it." The sun was shining better on the figure and He could see it was a girl. A pale hand brushed back a long strand of cherry black hair from what was presumably the girls face. He couldn't tell what her face looked like due to a hood as black as midnight that his the upper half of her face. Only a pale mouth and chin could be seen. A simple blue dress with a pattern resembling overlapping tops of church windows went down to her mid thigh and a pair of thigh high dark blue, chunky at the foot boots were clutching her legs. Oddly enough she was carrying no weapon. "Here." He saw her lips move as she handed him back the silver cane.

"You have just saved my life. I owe you greatly." He said humbly.

He saw a blush creep onto her cheeks. "I didn't do anything. Just...what would be right, no matter what they may...say." She said trialed off.

"What was expected? What would a respectable young girl like you be doing in the middle of the forest? You don't seem to be a huntress, your much to young. Where is your weapon?" He asked carefully. If this girl had just fought a grim, it was either cleverly hidden or she was lying to him. Something about her seemed off.

"Well I-I was just passing through!" She exclaimed defensively, and avoided his question about having a weapon with a shy mutter and a look to the ground.

"Without a weapon? Then how did you take down an over sized Beowolf? Your bare hands?"

"Look here Mr. I just saved your life if you're-" She stopped mid-sentence and sighed. "Your very perceptive." She said to him, but she seemed to be saying it more to herself.

"Indeed." He answered evenly.

"Look, I'm not anyone special, and that grimm just wandered off. We...we got lucky. It's just...you're a Huntsman and obviously a very proud one. I didn't want to hurt your pride and tell you a lie." She said not tearing her eyes from the ground.

He could tell she was lying. That was one of Ozpins many abilities as a man. He was extremely perceptive, and she was very good at lying through her teeth. "I do hate it when people lie to spare anothers pride." He said and her head snapped up, his eyes meeting a shadowy face. "I was almost killed by a Beowolf during a training exercise where my knee gave out. I was just saved by a teenager who used no weapon to make a full grown, over sized Beowolf turn around and walk away. I'm not very big on pride right now." He said and she seemed to read into his thoughts.

"Look will you just let this go!" She yelled. "I-It's complicated enough..." she tapered off.

"Why?"

"B-Because I'm not normal and I don't want to talk about it!" She cried out and stood there hanging her head.

Ozpin was genuinely interested in her story now. He could tell something was different about this girl. That's when he noticed two thick black trails ozone their way down her pale cheeks. "Are you okay?" He asked alarmed as she wiped at her face, smearing the inky blackness away.

"Look at me. I can't even cry like a normal person." She said hiccuping, and suddenly Ozpin was staring into red eyes as the hood of the cloak was cast back. The look on her face as he studied her features broke his heart.

He suddenly understood why she was wearing the hood.

"Thank you for showing me this. I won't tell anyone." He said.

"Please don't." A cracked voice said as she pulled the hood back over her face. "I'm going to leave now. I understand your not going to want to see me again."

"What? No. Your just different that's all. It doesn't make you any less human." He said and the girl broke into a tearful smile.

"Thank you." She breathed and when he next blinked she was running away, then gone.

As he stood there alone with a throbbing ache in his knee it suddenly all made sense to him. Suddenly his self confidence and his knowledge of the world seemed small and insignificant. He wasn't invincible. He smiled. He had a lot of work to do. Maybe he wouldn't mind being a teacher so much after all.

*FLASHBACK OVER*

"Ospin!" a sharp voice said, and the headmaster was torn from his thoughts. Lime eyes stared into his own chocolate ones. "Were you listening at all?" Glenda Goodwitch snapped at him.

He tried to collect his thoughts. "Hm..." was all he responded in his usual mysterious way.

"Professor Goodwitch believes we should put the Vytal Festival on hold due to the breaches. I cannot say I agree, but I will do whatever it takes to keep the people safe, and if this must be done-"

"No." Ozpin stated simply.

"Excuse me?" Green eyes glared over thin glasses.

"If we stop the festival because of the second breach, the public will go into uproar and make a bad situation worse. We need to calm the masses. Grimm are attracted to fear and anxiety, and if the people believe it is bad enough to call the halting of a festival celebrating peace and the combining of cultures we are going to have a lot more problems than just a breach." Ospin said and gently sipped his coffee.

"But this was no ordinary breach! Did you not see the soldiers? Atlas's finest soldiers torn apart like it was nothing! And what about that message? Your move. What does that even mean! Ospin we cannot ignore this-"

There was a soft clearing of the throat and brown eyes and green both met sparkling blue. Sapphire looked between the two. "He's right Glenda." The generals deep voice said as the woman angerly pushed her falling glasses up the bridge of her nose. "we must keep the public as calm as we can, and stopping the festival is not the way to go. We simply will have to double our efforts. If this breach is a sign of more to come, we must simply try harder to protect the boundaries of the city's and the four kingdoms."

"And how do you suppose we do that? We have proof of your so called top of the line soldiers being cut apart like a hot knife through butter!" The Huntress scoffed. Ospin smiled over his coffee mug. The amount of skepticism held by that woman was enough for ten people, but time and time again it had kept his head firmly on his shoulders and trained some of the best Hunters and Huntresses in the world. He wasn't about to complain if she took some convincing.

Ospin cleared his throat. "I believe the General may have something...or should I say someone to show us."


	9. Junior Perpetrator

Chapter Nine: Junior Perpetraitor

"So what are we looking at here?" Yang asked barley able tot concentrate on the screen in front of her.

Upon her request for information Junior had taken her into a back room which had several holo screens spread out among three walls and one sitting atop a desk next to a small safe that looked like it was trying to hide itself among the clutter of electronics and papers overflowing the room.

On the other wall was a large map of Remnant with several papers tacked to it and at least six different colored threads winding their way around it like crazy spider webs. Scattered around this room was enough equipment to spy on all of Vale. No wonder he was the go to man for information. He was probably keeping tabs on every man, woman, and child in Vale.

"If you would like to turn your attention to this screen..." Junior was saying to her. Yang tore her eyes away from the rest of the room and looked at the screen. Scrolling down it she saw a large file with several grainy pictures and shaky videos. She saw one of two figures, one in black the other completely in white both wearing masks of two striking King Taijitu, fangs bared, tongues lolling out. She scrolled over it and a wobbly video began to play.

A shaky camera, probably a witness on their scroll, was watching as the twin figures stood tranquil as possible, the crowd lulling around them as though they weren't even there. Then suddenly for no seeming reason they moved and each of them grabbed a figure passing by. The people surprise was quickly muffled by a hand over their mouth and suddenly both unlucky passerby's went rigid then slumped forward and the two masked figure dropped them to the sidewalk. At closer look, Yang saw both had knife handle sticking out of their backs. The only difference between them was one handle was flame colored and the other a light blue.

She gasped in shock at the horrible sight. It had all been over in less than three seconds but it still hurt her to see. But that wasn't the worst part. As the people began to take notice and a girl screamed at the sight of the bodies, the one with the orange handle suddenly burst into flame, whereas the one with the pale blue handle seemed to freeze over as icy crystals spread down the body from the hilt. "I don't understand. Why would they do this?" Yang asked squinting away from the sight. She could kill Grimm all day, but people was something else.

The burly man shrugged. "Keep watching." He replied.

Yang turned back to the screen. As the shaky scroll continued to video the scene, suddenly the picture dropped as though the figure dropped the small camera.

Yang gave a start as it was picked up and turned to face the Grimm snakes mask. The only tell to who it may have been under the mask was the beady green eyes appearing under it instead of the red that particular Grimm normally had.

It leered at her, then the camera turned again to show a third body (most Likly the camera man) laying on the ground, seven words carved into its back. 'Let this be a warning to you.' Yang gasped, frozen in horror. She had seen dangerous crime syndicates and criminals who had stolen almost all of the dust in Remnant, but this was different. This was taking the lives of innocent people. This was murder. "Hell." Was all she stated.

"I've watched this many times and it has come to my realization they did that on purpose."

"Why?" Yang said rubbing her eyes, the three bodies burned into her sight like some ghastly afterimage.

"Because they can. The most powerful crime syndicate in the world doesn't become the most powerful through staying a complete and total secret."

Yang understood this completely. Fear was what kept people in line and as long as their was fear of an unknown terror, they could maintain their secrecy yet keep the people under control.

"I want a copy of this data file." Yang said quickly. "And anything and everything else you've got on them."

"I can't do that." Junior stated but with a burning red look from Yang and a quip about how she would tear off his balls for real this time, he quickly changed his mind. "Give me your scroll." He held out his bearlike hand.

Yang fished it out if her pocket and handed it to him. He took it and plugged it into the holo screen. "It will show up on your scroll under information I think." He said resigned as Yang scrolled through the huge file on the screen while he worked, stopping every so often at a picture.

"You know most people pay me for my work." He said with a forced chuckle but stopped as the blonde was silent. He turned away for a second to finish saving the download. When he turned back the blonde was staring straight ahead at the monitor, her jaw hung slightly open in a comical way. He looked at the screen to see what looked like a long list of names. At closer scrutiny he saw it was the list of the three suspected members and just general details about them.

"We don't have any real lead on them, but these are just people who've shown qualities that are fitting to be a member...or so we think." Junior said handing her the small piece of electronic equipment.

"Hmm? Oh yeah." The blonde dragoness didn't seem quite there. She seemed to be staring at one of the names. He followed her eyes and read the names.

Velveteen Red - Age of eighteen. Whereabouts unknown. Faunas. No recent actions. Alive. To be terminated.

Raven Branwennen - Age unknown. Whereabouts unknown. Species unknown. Alive. Last known Action Two Years ago. To be terminated at any cost.

Cinder Fall - Age unknown. Whereabouts Vale. Species Human. Alive. Special privileges.

"Do you know one of them?" Junior fished at her.

Yang shook her head slowly and unconvincingly. "No...not a damn one." As if in a daze the teen stood up. "I have to go." She added hurriedly and practically ran out the door.

Junior sighed an picked up his scroll, making sure the blonde had left. Taking a deep breath he typed in the number. A deep voice greeted him. "Yes?" was all it said.

"This is Junior. We've got a code six."

"Did you activate them?" the voice asked.

"She'll activate herself. We just have to wait and see. Beware she is armed and dangerous." Xiong said fiddling with a small safe on the corner of his desk where the two walls met.

"Acknowledged. If they get too much of an annoyance you have the Alphas permission to kill them." The voice said making Junior break into a half smile. So he was talking to one of the highest generals. Slowly he turned the first number of the safe. A small click sounded.

"Thats good to know." The second number. Click.

The receiver made a click and the line went dead. The third number. 'They never stick around to talk.' He thought to himself.

Click. He pulled the small door open and reached into the small cube. It was barely a foot in volume but it held its contents like the precious gem it was.

Junior smiled. It had been awhile. He ran his fingers one the treasure he held. He had spent so many years working on this.

Red and black lines crisscrossed a growling snout. Perfectly sculpted fangs lay bare against a scowling face. 'Oh yes.' He thought. 'What a beauty you are.'

He called Melaine and Milita. The twins came, heels clinking a they walked behind him.

"Run this show." Was all he said, their wide eye stares at him as he raised a hand to his face and placed the sculpted mask of an extinct Grimm bear on his face.

'Oh yes.'


	10. Another Night

Chapter Ten: Another Night

Yang sat curled up around her corgi pillow, muscles limp and throbbing, scroll clutched in her hand. She had already read through the files Junior had given her, now she was just staring at the names. One was unfamiliar, and another seemed fairly close to something she had heard before, but try as she may the brawler couldn't put her finger on it. That left the second name on the list.

Raven Branwennen.

'No.' She thought. 'No it can't be.' But as much as she could wish it wasn't, Yang knew it was true.

Setting her scroll down on the mattress next to her she reached under her pillow with a free hand. She rummaged through the folds of the fabric until her hand landed on a cool glossy surface. Slowly she extracted a crumpled photograph of a woman, the glossy surface of it rumpled and cold to the touch.

Yang sighed as she stared at the picture and tears began to prickle in her eyes. She had know it all along really, it had just taken her a day to exhaust herself to the point of pain almost that she had begun to realize it. It hadn't really come forward to the front of her thoughts until now in the quiet nighttime hours where the only sound to be heard was Ruby's gentle snores and Weiss's small impertinent sniffles in her sleep.

She gazed at the picture, heart suddenly swelled and racing. Two red eyes stared back, black eyebrows cocked in a sort of sneer. Red lips were set in a bemused half smile and black hair flowed in a breeze, the movement of the moment captured on picture.

The pictures corners were old, causing som discoloration in the face but Yang could spot some similarities right off the bat between the woman and this picture. The crimson eyes. The black hair was almost the same, just cut shorter in a jagged edge. The pointed chin.

Yang smiled as she compared the face with that of her own. Sure the eyes were different, but only when Yang wasn't pissed. Then they could've been mirror images almost. The woman had slightly higher cheek bones to Yang's slight dismay, but that went away when she saw she had won about ten inches lower where it counted.

Whereas Yang was almost double D, this woman was barley breaking a C or even less a B and of course Yang's hair was like a golden waterfalls where as the woman's was an inky stream.

'Well we can't both look exactly the same.' She thought and fiddled with a torn edge of the picture. 'After all, my mother only has given me half my genes.'


	11. The Dead of the Night

Chapter Eleven: The Dead of the Night

The warehouse where Cinder had camp set up was a lot different than the one Neo had been staying at. This one was twice the size, and instead of stacks of furniture crates, this one held crates upon crates of weapons and dust.

Workers of the white fang ran about everywhere like the animals they were and in the center of it all was a large circular table. Six chairs sat around it, but two remained empty. In one sat a girl with dual tone pink and brown hair and clothing who was sitting crosslegged, the large chair seeming to swallow up her small form. The next patron sat in the chair to the left of this neopolitan girl. He was dressed in all manners of grey with hints of silver, and had stringy silver and black fringed hair that hung over one of his eyes. There didn't seem to be a set eye, it just fell wherever he had last brushed it to.

There was an empty chair then a girl with bright red eyes and mint green hair sat. she had on a white and forest green halter top and looked both bored and alert at the same time. All sat waiting along with three empty chairs. Neither of any of them talked to one another. In fact none of them looked at one another. Neo was fine with that seeing that she wanted as little to do with these people as she could. She just wanted Roman back.

Suddenly the quiet clink of glass heels on concrete was heard as a young woman with a red dress and charcoal colored hair walked toward them and stopped in front of the table. Not taking a seat she began. "Well, now that we are all here let us begin. Who would like to go first? How about you." She said slyly and pointed a finger at the mint haired girl.

The girl with the minty hair cleared her throat. "The breach was sucessful in the fact the message got through and the public saw it. They surley are panicing now. There...there was a problem though." She said the last sentence timidly. "

Orange eyes narrowed.

"The Grimm were not able to cause any damage..." The red eyed girl said slowly. "There were reports of a cloaked figure who drove them away."

"Well we cannot win them all Emerald. We are lucky to have accomplished two out of the three of our goals." She said. Crimson eyes widened in relief, and clenched shoulders relaxed. "That still does not mean I am not...disappointed." The standing woman said then turned towards Mercury Black. "And what did you accomplish?"

"I found who you were looking for." Mercury reached down to the chair beside him and plopped a thick file of papers onto the table. "Took awhile and alot of...convincing but they got us the information." He flipped his hair into the alternate eye.

"Excellent." A slender hand reached out and Mercury slid the file towards it. Red tipped fingers opened it and quickly thumbed through it. Neo caught a glimpse of what looked like schematics and blueprints. The cool voice of the firey woman began speaking again. "Interesting..." She said as she flipped through the pages.

"What do we do now?" Emerald asked tenativly.

"We wait." Cinder said absently, completely absorbed in her schmatics. Emerald had never seen her like this. The woman was always attentive and able to pay attention to every detail, but now she seemed...immersed.

"For what? The Vytal Festival?" Mercury scoffed.

"Precisely." Cinder fall said. "And I think it's time you three began to train for it."

"Excuse me?" Emerald questioned, mint brows bunched together.

"Well as team NEMS (Nemesis) you are not going to want to lose during the teams round. In fact, I will be very disappointed if you lose during the doubles." Flame eyes were flicking back and forth across a paper lined with small black text.

"You mean, were competing?" Mercury exclaimed dropping his palms on the table.

Neo looked up, surprise viewable on her eyes. 'No!' She thought. 'No we don't have time for this! Roman is going to be killed!' Cider looked up and saw the short girls face.

"Now now." She purred. "We will get to Roman eventually, we just need to lull Vale into thinking that try are safe, and the Festival is just the thing we need." She directed the last sentences towards Neo. "Do not worry. We will get Torchwick back. It seems he would be more useful to us than I had thought."

"Pardon my asking," Mercury said leaning forward in his chair. "But how are we supposed to pull this off. We aren't exactly overqualified to break into an Atlas prison ship."

Cinder looked up and stared the younger man strait in the eyes. "Of course we are not. That's where your last teammate comes in. After one of you has moved up to the singles the other three will gather up Roman. I believe that is what Ms. Neapolitan is here for."

"Other teammate?"

"You can't have a team without four people."

"Who is it?" The mint haired thief asked.

"The best." Cinder replied with a slow smile. "She also will be the one to lead the team in the prison ship operation."

"What!" Two voices exclaimed, one belonging to black eyes and the other to light red. Dual toned eyes mirrored a grimace.

"You heard correctly. You will be operating on her team. We believe it's for the best. Now leave me. I have work to do, and you have to train."

Three chairs were pushed back, and wood scraped concrete as NEM of team NEMS left the table.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve: Death of a Summers Rose

The masked woman stood before her, slightly blurry like when she had visited before. Yang looked back into the red eyes through her own violet ones. Their eyes were the same in every way except color. So was their facial structure, Yang's chin only being slightly more pointed. A calloused pale hand reached out and cupped the blondes chin in her hand. "Yang Xaio Long. You've grown up so well." The woman's hand felt warm and soothing to the touch, it was so familiar.

Yang let the warmth travel to her and she faintly smiled at the feeling. "I wish you could've been there to see it...mom." She said, the word new in her mouth. Such a simple combination of consonants and vowels, yet it was so difficult to say.

Suddenly she felt the muscle in the hand tighten and tense up. Slowly it receded from her face. "What did you just call me?" The normally hard voice was soft along with the red eyes under the mask.

Yang stayed silent.

"Yang...I-I..." Raven stuttered.

"I know. I found it out from a...friend who owns a club. He had a bunch of information on those creepily masked people. I've been reading up on them the past few days..." Yang dug her hand into her pocket and fishes out her scroll. "Here you can read it if you want!" She said quietly.

Her mothers eyes narrowed and flashed red. "You what?" She asked her voice dangerously quiet. "You shouldn't have done that Yang!" She suddenly yelled. "Do you have any idea how much danger you've just put you and your team...your friends into! They are the most dangerous people in this world and you know about them!"

Yang stood there, eyes wide open staring in shock at the woman. "B-but..." She stuttered.

"You have just made a horrible mistake Yang Xiao Long! Do you understand how much I worry about you?" She yelled, red eyes wide.

Shock suddenly drained from Yang and a more familiar emotion poured into its place. Anger. Hate. Rage. She blinked her eyes red meeting red and roared, slamming her fists together. Both inky black and shining gold locks blew back, gold suddenly aflame. "Worry about me!" She yelled. "Worry about me! I'm sure you do, which is why you left me as a child! Which is why you never came to visit. You left my father to take care of me as soon as I was born! You never even stuck around to take a single photo with me! When Summer Rose died and I...no we needed you most, you weren't there. Sure of course you fucking care...I'm your flesh and blood so you feel obligated to save my ass, but news flash I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!" Yang had been steadily increasing in volume and she screamed the last part. Then panting she let herself cool down. She felt a hot year leaking its way down her cheek. Brushing it away with a thing finger she felt more tears rolling down her cheeks. "You don't love me." She continued. "I understand. I just want you to know that I wish you had cared and I wish you had stayed." Yang said in a cracked and strained voice. Her arms and shoulders shook from crying and from the past days overuse of her muscles and tendons.

There was a slight pause then the woman, her mother spoke. "I do care Yang. You don't know how much I do. It's just the past catches up with us all and mine is more dangerous than most. You don't know how hard it was to leave you and your father, but If I had stayed behind then you wouldn't be standing here talking to me and Tiayang would be down under six feet. You don't know these people like I do Yang. You don't understand what they are cape able of and what they will do to achieve their means. You cross one and your family is cursed to die for the next few generations. So you think I don't care, but I do. Very very much so. And that's why I left Yang. Not because I didn't care. Because I had to." Ravens red eyes were swimming with tears as she took off her mask.

Yang felt more tears leak out of her eyes. "You didn't have to leave...we...we could've helped." Yang said quietly. "We could've fixed it..."

"You cannot help those who cannot be helped and you cannot fix what has already been broken."

"YES YOU CAN!" Yang yelled once again. "You just could've stayed and we could've helped, but you didn't! You left and the reason doesn't matter! None of us would have cared had you been a danger to us all! I wouldn't have and Ruby wouldn't have either! Maybe we were bett-"

"STOP!" Raven yelled, red eyes flashing dangerously again. "If I hadn't left then your dearest little sister would not have ever been born!" She yelled. "I loved your father and he loved me! Had I not left it would jut be you Yang! No Ruby Rose. Summer Rose would've stayed a friend and a teammate to both of us! Nothing more nothing less!" Raven stopped for a second and panted heavily, chest heaving. Then she continued on to a startled Yang in a softer voice. "If you think I shouldn't have left, think again. Summer Rose died because of me and had I not left you all would be too-" She stopped abruptly and two shaking hands clamped themselves over her mouth. Yang saw two wet trails leading from her red eyes which had lost all their previous angry splendor.

"What?" Yang stupidly stated. 'Had she just said...no she can't mean...' The brawler thought and lavender eyes searched her mothers red ones. "What-What do you mean..." Yang said slowly not quite believing what she was hearing.

But Raven Branwennen wasn't answering. Wide frantic eyes stared into her own and she was slowly shaking her head back and forth. "No...no...no no no...I-I didn't mean...I tried to stop them...I...I..." The previously hard woman was suddenly collapsing to tears in front of Yang. The black haired Spartan previously standing in front of Yang seemed so small. The blonde brawler felt she could've tapped her on the shoulder and she would've shattered into a million pieces.

"Raven...Mom...what do you mean?" She said slightly more forcefully.

But Raven continued to stare back at her wide eyed. Yang watched the woman as she collapsed to her knees, the slight blurriness of the dream making it hard for her to see the full amount of pain on the woman's face, but Yang could still see the guilt and regret and sadness streaking it and flashing across it like a silent movie projection. Yang had to know if she had heard right. If she had, this changed everything. "You..." She ventured an small flicker of an idea flicking through her mind, but Raven it seemed was one step ahead of her.

Around them the courtyard stretched and collapsed from view to show an empty street lined with abandoned buildings. Crumbling monstrosities looming through a thin white fog. Yang quickly recognized it as Mountain Glen.

Amidst the crumbling street walking towards them was a petite woman in a long white hood and cloak. She had on a slightly flared black skirt and black stockings with white outlines of roses patterned on them, that of which tucked into black combat boots. She had a black strapless corset top that had left a tiny bit of her pale lower stomach and her shoulders showing. A weapon hung off her lower back and she had dark brown hair and silver eyes just like...Ruby. Yang felt a leap then a tug of pain in her heart as she recognized the woman from when she was younger. Summer Rose.

Her stepmom was walking down the street of Mountain Glenn. Yang watched as Summer stopped in the center of a tee in the road and cocked her head slightly to the side as though she was listening for something or perhaps someone.

She watched the woman's slender hand reach back for her weapon as behind her a dark red portal appeared, and a woman Yang recognized as a younger, less battle hardened raven with shorter hair entered carrying a sword with a red blade that looked at least four feet. Yang saw Ravens hair was matted around her and a sweat stained face looking pained and tear struck as she crept up behind Summer Rose who was standing shock still with her eyes closed.

Yang pressed her hands up to her mouth which was open in a silent scream wanting to cry out but finding her throat dry and her mouth unable to move, as Ravens blade came down at Summer Rose...only to stop in midair.

Summer Rose was standing there with out having moved an inch as the red blade quivered in the air inches from her head. Raven was standing frozen, not just her weapon but her whole body seemed to be held in place.

"Summer-Summer I'm so sorry!" She heard a tear streaked Raven gasp.

Summer smiled. "It's okay. I know you can't control this." She said and the white cloaked woman stayed looking forward as a shaking Raven stood over her.

"No!" The taller haired woman yelled crying. "No it's not! Your going to die and I'm going to be the one who killed you! Get away from me!"

White Rose shook her head ever so slightly. "I can't." She said too softly to hear, head bowed. The blonde brawler saw small drops of water falling from her face and onto the dusty grey shirt below.

Ravens faced turned to one of sheer horror. "No! You can't do this! You can't let me kill you! You have your semblance keeping me in place! You can get away from me! Run!" The last one was a strained plea.

Once again White Rose shrugged. "This isn't me Raven. Whoever is controlling you is keeping me in place here."

Yang squeezed her eyes shut.

"No!" A gasp of horror.

"Someone wants me dead Raven and they want you to do it. Just know this..." An intake of breath. "It's not your fault."

Yang couldn't stand to listen anymore as tears leaked out of her own closes eyes and quickly she plugged her fingers in her ears, but it was too late. They couldn't block out the thunk of a sword as it severed a White Rose and the world around her shattered to pieces as the Dragoness let out a deafening roar.


	13. Don't Stop, Just Slow Down

Chapter Twelve: Don't Stop, Just Slow Down

Blake Belladonna woke up to a hideous moan of terror originating from the bed above her. Amber eyes snapped open and one thought crossed her mind and she threw her comforter away from her body. 'Yang!'

Across from her Weiss was sitting up and Ruby was jumping down from her bunk bed as Blake pulled her upper body onto Yang's bed, her toes balanced delicately in the edge of her bed. She saw Yang moaning, her eyes darting back and forth under her eyelids as she thrashed around. An unnatural heat was radiating in waves from the blondes bed as the Brawler was plagued by whatever night terrors were haunting her.

"Yang!" She whispered urgently. The blonde didn't respond. "Yang!" She called louder. The blondes eyes suddenly snapped open and met Blake's. Blake was surprised to see them shining a bright crimson. Yang sat up breathing heavily, and Blake was surprised to see tears streaming down her cheeks. Sweat matted the taller girls hair in place, and made her tank top cling to her chest and stomach.

"Yang?" Ruby asked quietly coming to stand on the edge of Blake's bed beside the Faunas. Her silver eyes were wide and full of concern. "Are you okay? What happened? What's wrong?" Her high pitched voice had a tenderness only a sister could possess.

Yang looked at her and blinked once. Twice. Three times. Her wet eyes a watery violet.

"I saw her Ruby." She said, her voice cracking.

"Saw who Yang?" Ruby asked. Without an answer the blonde leaned down and wrapped her arms around the younger girl. Ruby squirmed awkwardly then slowly wrapped her arms back around her silent half sister. Blake hopped down from the bed and stood by a concerned Weiss. "Do you think she's alright?" The heiress asked her.

Blake simply shrugged. "I...I'm not entirely sure..." She said as Yang slowly let go of her sister and wiped her face with the back of her hand. Her face was blotchy and red and more tears leaked down her cheeks from red rimmed eyes.

"Ruby I-I just talked to...I just talked to my mother!" The words poured out of Yang's mouth in a stumble. Silver eyes widened and a small hand traveled to a mouth open in an expression of shock

"Raven?" The timid squeak from the younger girl was small and quiet, as though she wasn't quite sure what she had just heard.  
Yang nodded robotically. Blake watched as she slumped back against the wooden headboard. "She spoke to me in a dream a few nights ago and now tonight. Ruby...I can't explain but, I don't know what to do!" Yang said quietly and pulled the covers up to her eyes and dried them. It was an act that As Blake watched she saw the frightened child from the story the blonde had told her, trying ti get her ti slow down less then two months ago when they had been hunting down the nefarious criminal, Roman Torchwick and Blake had been pushing herself past the breaking point.

Blake and the snowy girl beside her exchanged a glance at the childish act. Something was wrong. This was not Yang.  
The Yang they knew was outgoing and loud. Someone who rode a certain black and yellow bike at speeds well over the limit and who liked to pick fights with monsters, all while making bad puns. The Yang they knew didn't wake up crying in the middle of the night over a nightmare, or in this case a spiritual encounter with her long lost mother. This was most certainly not the Yang they knew.

"Well let us help you then." The heiress beside her said. "We are here for you, and well believe you no matter what it is you tell us. We're your teammates, so just tell us what's wrong. " Weiss said, sounding wise yet distinctly un-Weiss like until the very end b

"Yeah!" Ruby added enthusiastically. "You found your mom! That's good, right?" She added sounding less animated by the minute.

Yang nodded slightly. "Yeah..." She said quietly. She bowed her head for a second then looked up. Blake looked into her lavender eyes. Her tears were gone, replaced by a jagged hardness. If Blake knew her teammate she was about to do something impossible to forget. "Hey..." Yang said slowly. "Maybe-Maybe was should all go back to bed. I don't think I'll be able to talk about it until morning. I'm much too Yangry." She said with a small smile at the sad attempt of a joke. Blake could tell from miles away that it was forced and she suspected everyone else could as well.

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked. "We don't mind..."

"I'm sure. Ill see you in the morning." Yang said and laying back down she rolled over so her back faced them, the heat coming from her bed still coming in unnatural waves.

"See you in the morning..." Ruby trailed off and climbed back into her bed. Weiss yawned gracefully and returned to her own Blake mirroring her footsteps to her own in turn. The Faunus lay on her back and stared at the bottom of Yang's bed until all that could be heard was Ruby's light snores and Weiss's familiar pattern of breathing. They were both asleep, and the room lay still and quiet for a full five minutes until Blake heard a small creaking noise above her and a small plunk of feet hitting the floorboards was heard as Yang jumped down from her bed as quietly as possible.

'Oh hell.' Blake thought to herself. She'd known this would happen, but that didn't mean she wanted it to. She watched in the dark, her night vision providing her with a clear picture of her partner tucking her scroll into her jacket pocket and grabbing we ran combat boots. Yang was about to do something she would regret for the rest of her life if Blake didn't stop her.

The blonde quietly opened the door, stepped out into the hallway and shut it behind her. Blake heard her footsteps go to the left down the hallway, and the Faunas let her walk for a couple seconds before leaping out of bed herself and silently padding out the door behind her partner.

She crept after Yang as the blonde snuck down the hallway. Yang may not have seemed it with her brawny and loud signature style of fighting but she was actually able to sneak around very quietly. Blake had to admit she was pleasantly surprised, though more than a little worried about where they were headed.

Yang stopped, and Blake's heart sank when she saw where they were. The blonde was standing just outside the locker where they kept their weapons and during the day, their battle gear and clothing. Yang looked to the left and right to make sure she hadn't been spotted yet, then ducked through the door. Blake waited until the blonde was through then she darted after her.

During the day the locker room was only lit by natural light which fluttered in through a few tiny windows near the ceiling. There were no electric lights making it next to impossible to see during the night unless you had fantastic night vision, that of which Blake did. Every bench was shown in near perfect detail and each locker containing a weapon shown in the light of the broken moon. Unfortunately for her partner, she was not blessed with such a gift. Blake watched as Yang stumbled around blindly, swearing under her breath each time she knocked into a bench.

Blake watched as the blonde finally reached her locker and pressing the keypad blindly with her free hand until the sealed vault door pressurized open. She watched the brawler pull out Ember Celica her trademark shotgun gauntlets. She watched as yang set them on the bench beside her and sat down next to the yellow weapons.

She reached down and began to pull on her tan combat boots. 'Oh shit!' Blake thought. 'She's not, leaving...is she?' The Faunas thought with dread. No that wasn't right. It couldn't be. But here she was, putting on her boots and weapons ready to go into battle in her pajamas. As someone who ran, blake knew this ritual. It was a ritual to leave everything an to not come back. 'She wouldn't leave us like this would she?' But clearly she was about to.

Blake decided now was the time to make her presence known. "You really shouldn't be out of bed this late." She said stepping in line with one of the small windows so Yang could have some, though very limited view of her teammate.  
Yang turned her head to look in the direction of Blake's voice and was greeted with a pair of glowing amber eyes with magenta wings and framed by the broken moonlight flitting in and shining down on long black hair that framed the Faunas's pale face.  
"Blake!" The blonde hissed. "Your supposed to be asleep!" Yang stood up, her blonde hair bouncing slightly.

"And so are you." The dark haired girl noted.

"Your point being?" Yang asked standing up. Blake began to walk towards her, weaving in and out between benches as she moved towards her partner. She noted how Yang's arms shook as she lifted herself from the bench and how as the Faunas moved closer to her, the hotter the room seemed to get. "Your getting ready to leave. Where are you going Yang?" She asked.

"Nowhere. Go back to bed." Yang said more harshly than she had probably meant, and she turned to leave. Blake grabbed her by the arm and held her firmly in place, the heat in her skin sending small tingles down her hand.

"Your not going nowhere. You've just went and got your weapon. Your planning on leaving...is this about your mom?" Blake asked as gently yet as assertively as she could.

The blonde looked up at her with watery eyes. They were on the brink of turning red and Yang was doing her best to stop it. To manta in some image of control. "I have to find her Blake." She said in a cracked voice. "I never should have given up when I was little. I have to go out and find her, no matter where I have to go and what it takes!" Yang's voice slowly built up with confidence.

"Okay. Just tell me one thing." Blake said, still gripping her partners arm like a vice. Yang looked at her.

"What?"

"Where are you going?"

"Does it matter?" Yang asked her voice building up, her irritation at her normally quiet partners sudden question evident on her face.

"Where are you going?" Blake asked more assertively this time.

"I don't know!" Yang yelled. "I'm going to go wherever I need to go to find her!"

Blake thought for a moment as the blonde in her weakened state struggled to free herself of the Faunas's tight grip on her arm. "Sounds like you won't be coming back then."

"Not until I find her!" Yang spike through gritted teeth. Blake felt her hand begin to burn as the Blonde got more and more upset.

"What about us? You'll be leaving your team and risk losing all that you've worked for over these past years to go hunting down a woman you met in a dream."

"It's a risk that I'm willing to take." Red eyes stared into amber. Amber dropped a bombshell on red.

"What about your teammates? What about me?"

"What about you!" Yang snarled back at her.

"What about me? You really don't know?" Blake finally had had enough with the stubborn blonde. "Your going to leave us behind! Have you not even considered how your hurting us by doing so? And how about how Ruby would feel? Her only sister, and closest friend abandoning her to go find a ghost of a woman! Did you not stop and think this through!" She yelled.

"Of course I thought It through, and I don't want to do any of those things to you guys, but I don't have time to stop! I'm the only one close to finding her!" Yang yelled back. "I-I'm the only one who can find her..." She repeated quietly and looked down at the ground.  
It hurt Blake to do so but she squeezed Yangs arm to get the brawler to look up at her.

Their eyes met and the Faunas was surprised to see two small streams of tears going down her hot face. "Do you remember what you told me a few months ago? When I was tearing myself apart trying to get Torchwick locked away?" Blake asked, and Yang nodded slightly. She continued. "You told me a story about how you had been searching for your mother and almost got you and Ruby killed because you weren't thinking about what could happen to you. You then Told me you didn't want me to stop, just to slow down. Well I want you to do the same." Blake said and let go if Yangs arm. "Don't give up hope, just slow down and let us help you." Blake said and spontaneously hugged the Brawler. Yang sank into the Faunas's hug and cried.


	14. Nighttime Revelations

Nighttime Revelations

Yang looked out of the corners of red rimmed eyes at the Faunas girl walking beside her. Blake was looking straight ahead as they crept quietly down the stone path. Neither of them spoke. Lilac eyes traveled back towards where they were walking as boots both heeled and unheralded clicked and crunched on the stone pathway. Ember Celica hung at the blondes sides, her arms too tired to hold up the gauntlets at a normal position.

Yang breathed out. "Hey um Blake...I...I'm sorry..." But the blondes ham-fisted attempt at an apology was cut short as the Faunas stopped where she was walking and held up a hand to silence the brawler.

Yang's mouth hung open for a second, then closed upon seeing the outline of her partners hand reach behind her for Gambol Shroud, then twitch anxiously as it was not there. "Did you hear that?" Blake whispered to her partner who shook her head of golden curls.

"Maybe it was-" Yang was cut off by a worried shushing sound by Blake. Even in the dark of the night Yang could see the lines of unease etched around the corners of her eyes and face.

The blonde looked around nervously as a heavy feeling of unease began to weigh down on her shoulders. Her shotgun gauntlets weighed down on her wrists as she suddenly began to realize how worn out she was. A few days of nonstop brawls and stress and an all-nighter had almost completely sapped the blondes strength. Ember Celica suddenly felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

Blake's hand was twitching at her back, as if concentrating hard enough would make Gambol Shroud appear. Yang watched her amber eyes dart all around, probably checking every corner and crevice of the courtyard for signs of life. Lilac eyes strained to help in the dark but in the inky black of night, human eyes were as good as useless.

Blake's bow twitched again. So Yang listened, using what little Aura left to amplify every small sound. The night came to life around her, every cricket chirp sounding like the screech of a falcon, every small rustle of the nighttime air sounding like a howling gust of wind. She could hear Blake's heart pumping in her chest and she could hear her own racing just as fast.

That's why she heard the light breathing before she saw the figure rush at them.

Her advanced hearing let her hear them from thirty pace away. Twenty. Ten. Blake had taken up a weaponless fighting stance beside her.

Then her vision was filled by a heavy figure with broad shoulders and the stench of cigars and Gin. The scent was vaguely familiar to Yang but she had no time to contemplate it seeing as a large metal object was swinging towards her face.

A shaking forearm sluggishly blocked the bat as metal crashed into metal. Yang felt them push forward with enough force to stop a car. She fell backwards, her stance having been horribly unbalanced, and just manage to somersault out of the way as the attacker struck again.

Their weapon, it looked like a bat, Yang was having trouble telling these things in the dark, crashed inches away from her face and hit the ground with enough force to break beside her head.

She heard a low omph of forced exhaling come from the attacker. Blake must've gotten a hit in on him (judging from the low voice). Yang pulled herself up to her get as fast as she could, but her strength having been spent over the past few days gave out. She slumped helplessly against the ground feeling every ache from her fight with the three toned bitch, from her brawl with the burly student in the training pit to the emotional wear and tear of meeting her mother and seeing Ruby's die less than five days later. She hadn't slept properly in several days, her heart and brain were pounding in overdrive and her lungs felt tight. Her aura was almost shot and her arms felt like they had two metal weights attached to them.

Spots swam in front of her eyes and she let them flutter closed...almost. Until she heard a loud crash and a groan of pain sounding vaguely like Blake from near the statue.

'Oh yeah the attacker.' Was the first thing to cross her mind. The second gave her new strength. 'Blake.' She thought.

'Blake. Blake!' She couldn't let her partner get hurt. With renewed strength the blonde pushed herself off the stone. Practically dragging her arms behind her she threw herself forward at the attacker. Her purple eyes blazed red with a new found fire and she raised her fist and threw it forward. Her stroke was rewarded with meeting solid flesh and a loud grunt of pain. She hit them again and again in the stomach and looked up at the man. 'I want to look him in the eyes. I want him to know not to hurt my partner again!'

Raising a bloody fist she was about to hit him in the face when she just stopped. Frozen wide eyes. On the mans face was a mask.

A with muzzle. Black nose. Sharp teeth. Red scrawling marks. It was roughly hewn and incomplete, but it was beautiful. An ancient Grimm Bear. One of the only Grimm the humans had ever completely eradicated. On a mask. Like the ones her mother had shown her in her dream. She knew the man was striking at her about to kill her, but she didn't care. The mask consumed her vision and made her think of Raven.

Raven with her Nevermore mask.

Summer. Dead, killed by the Nevermore of her mother.

Blake, badly hurt by the fountain.

The bat was about to hit Yang but she made no move to guard herself. She couldn't. She wouldn't. She knew this attacker. As soon as she got near she could smell him. He reeked of cigars and Gin. He had an expensive black suit and leather gloves. The mask was modeled after a bear.

The world seemed to move in slow motion as these thoughts crossed Yangs mind in the single second it took for him to swing the bat at her.

Why was he trying to kill her?

The second dragged on as the Dragoness began to duck out of the way half a second too late.

'He never fought this well before...' She thought as time sped up and the bat clipped the top of her head.

As her vision darkened she couldn't help but give out a deadpan chuckle. 'Never thought I would die at the hands of Junior Xiong! Well at least Ill be dead before I wake up...guess you really can trust no one...'

But before the Brawler's eyes shut completely, a pair of sensible brown and gold shoes stepped in front of her vision and back out again. A faint voice drifted into her ears just before she blacked out.

It was soft and timid, but had a hard edge to it. One she had never heard it take on before. The soft British accent giving it a dangerous time. "Whoever you are, turn back. I knew they would send someone eventually but I think I should give you a warning first. I didn't even bring my weapon."

'What the Hell?' Yang thought before her head was completely consumed by darkness. 'Velvet?'

So last chapter to part one. I'm going to have a part two called, "Part Two: Nevermore Shall We Part" for anyone who's interested. It should be posted soon. I hope you enjoyed that. Please review, I love reviews! Until Next Time!

If your looking for more alternate endings to volume two let me recommend you this one that posted on Archive (AO3). It's called "Requiem For Remnant" by Numbnut10 and it's a thousand times better than mine so you may want to check it out!


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